Holder for cameras.



Patented Apr. 23, l90l.

W. V. ESMND.

HOLDER FOR CAMERAS;

(Application led May 5, 1899.)

NITED STATES introne WILLIAM V. ESMOND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK P. LEFFINGWELL, OF SAME PLACE.

HOLDER FOR CAMERAS.

SPECIFICATION forming `part of Letters Patent No. 672,703, dated April 23, 1901..

Application led May 5 1 8 9 9 To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM V. EsMoND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Cameras and other Articles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

lt has heretofore been common practice to adjustably secure a camera to a rest upon a tripod or similar support by means of a screw engaging the rest, passing therethrough and into a screw-socket conveniently secured in the frame of the camera. The depth of the screw-socket is usually restricted, and the Vthickness of the rest varies according to the variation it has been customary to provide ret taining screws of different lengths corresponding to the different rests used. Furthermore, when such screws were employed it was necessary whenever the camera was to be revolubly adj usted on the rest to partially withdraw the screw from the socket before such adjustment could be effected.

One of the objects of the present invention is t0 provide a holding device for cameras and other articles which will permit a revoluble shift of the camera without a readjustment of the retaining-bolt.

A further object of the invention is to provide a retaining-screw and mechanism which can be used in connection with rests of different thicknesses.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the several novel features of construction hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly dened in the claims at the conclusion hereof. l

In the drawings, Figure l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a holder embodying the invention and showing also a camera sustained thereby. Fig. 2 is a sectional view, upon an enlarged scale, of such holder applied to a different form of rest. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the washer or Serial No. 715,645. (No model.)

pressure-plate which engages the rest. Fig.u 4 is a side elevation of the holder withdrawn from the rest.

l denotes a rest-plate of usual construction sustained by adjustable legs or supports 2. A camera case or frame 3 rests upon plate 1 and is provided With a'socket-plate 1l, having a female screw-thread 5 formed therein. Restplate 1 is provided with a screw-threaded hole 6, through which a retaining-bolt 7 is extended. The upper terminal of retaining-bolt 7 is provided with a screw-thread S, corresponding to screw-thread 5 in socket-plate il. At its lower terminal retaining-bolt 7 is provided with Wings 9, whereby said bolt may be easily turned. Intermediate said wings and -restplate l retaining-bolt 7 is provided with a screw-thread 10, which is encircled by a correspondingly-threaded adjusting-nut 11. A coil-spring l2 encircles the retaining-bolt and is engaged bynut 11, and the upper end of said spring impinges against a pressureplate or washer 13. The retaining-bolt 7 is slightly reduced, as at 14, and the washer is free to play therealong and fits snugly about said reduced portion. Washer 13 when the holder is withdrawn from the socket-plate and rest abuts against the lower terminal of screw-thread l0 or a shoulder, as at 15, to restrict the movement of spring 12, and thus secures said spring in position aroundl the retaining-bolt. Washer 13 is preferably formed of a dat strip of metal bent to encircle reduced portion of stem 14.

When a camera is to be secured upon the rest, the retaining-bolt 7 is passed thnough hole 6 in the rest-plate 1 and the bolt 7 turned to cause the screw-thread 8 t0 engage screwthread 5 in socket-plate 4 until secured there- 1n. against the under side of rest 1, and such Washer is held firmly against said :rest by spring l2. Thus the camera will be held firmly upon the rest, and the pressure of the washer 13 against the under side of the rest is su'icient to retain the camera in assigned position upon the rest, but also permits the camera and retaining-screw to be revolubly shifted upon and in the rest when such shift is At the same time washer 13 impinges desired. The desired pressure of washer 13 against rest l may be attained by adjustment of nut 11 along screw-thread 10.

It is manifest from the foregoing description that the camera may be revolubly shifted Without a readjustment of the retainingscrew. portant one, because when the tripod or sup port has been adjusted to the desired position the camera can be easily and quickly revolved Without likelihood of moving the tripod'out of such previously-assigned position. It will also be observed tha-t by adjustment of nut 11 along screw-thread 10 of retainingbolt 7 washer 13 and spring 12 may be shifted to engage a thin rest-plate, of metal, as shown in Fig. l, or a thicker rest, ot' wood, as shown in Fig. 2. This advantage is also important, because the retaining-bolt can be applied to the diiferent rests now in use, and the necessity of providing retaining-screws of different lengths is avoided.

While the invention is particularly advantageous and useful for holding cameras, it may also be used for other and analogous purposes.

The invention is not to be understood as being restricted to the details shown and may be varied Within wide limits Without departing from the spirit of the invention'.

The rest shown in Fig. 2 is of usual construction-that is, formed of wood and provided with a metal plate 16, having a central screw-threaded perforation corresponding to screw-thread 8 on the retaining-bolt. When thread 8 has been turned to a position above plate 16, shoulder 15 engages the thread in said perforation, and thus holds the retaining-bolt within the rest. In the construction This resultant advantage is an imj shown in Fig. 1 the screw-thread is extended 4o entirely through opening 6 in the metallic .rest-plate, and shoulder 15 also retains the retaining-bolt in the plate.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters minal for engaging an internallyscrew-l threaded part in the camera to be held on said rest, means at the lower end of said bolt whereby it may be turned, a screw-thread near its lower end, a reduced portion intermediate said screw-threads, a washer having a restricted longitudinal movement on said reduced portion, an adjusting nut, 4and a spring intermediate said nut and washer, said external thread on the upper end of said bolt being formed to engage the thread in .the opening in said rest and to be projected coinpletely therethrough.

2. As an article of manufacture a retainingbolt for securing acamera to a rest-plate, having an external screw-thread at one end, a screw-thread near its other end, a slightlyreduced portion and means at its other end whereby said bolt may be turned, a washer encircling said reduced portion, an adjustingnut, and a spring intermediate said nut and said washer, said washer being held on said reduced portion bysaid end screw-thread alone.

' WILLIAM V. ESMOND.

Witnesses:

FRED GERLACH, OLIVER P. DENNIS. 

